ANAHEIM, Calif. — Johnny Giavotella hit an RBI double in the ninth inning and Mike Trout homered, leading the Los Angeles Angels to a 4-3 victory over Seattle on Wednesday night and their second walk-off win in a row over the Mariners.
One night after Carlos Perez punctuated his major league debut with a home run in the bottom of the ninth against Dominic Leone, Giavotella got his first career game-ending hit. It scored Erick Aybar, who bunted into a force play after David Freese drew a leadoff walk from Carson Smith (0-2) and was replaced by pinch-runner Taylor Featherston.
Huston Street (2-0) was credited with the win after his first blown save in 10 opportunities this season. He gave up a sacrifice fly by pinch-hitter Dustin Ackley in the top of the ninth.
Angels left-hander C.J. Wilson pitched seven innings, allowing two runs and seven hits while striking out four and walking none. It was the fifth time in his first six starts he held an opponent to fewer than three runs.
Wilson, who beat the Mariners 2-0 in his season debut April 7 at Seattle with eight innings of two-hit ball, handed a 3-2 lead to the bullpen.
Seattle lefty Roenis Elias gave up three runs and six hits in seven innings in his third start since joining the rotation following Hisashi Iwakuma’s injured right shoulder.
The Angels took a 3-0 lead in the third with three consecutive one-out hits — a triple by No. 9 hitter Collin Cowgill, a double by Kole Calhoun and Trout’s seventh homer, which cleared the trees in centre field by plenty and was estimated at 441 feet.
Kyle Seager, who was 3 for 37 against Wilson coming into his second at-bat of the night, got two runs back in the fourth with his third homer after a one-out single by Robinson Cano. Until then, Wilson had allowed one home run in his first 36 1-3 innings this season.
Freese made two nice plays at third base in the seventh. He charged in to cut off Logan Morrison’s leadoff grounder toward shortstop before throwing him out, then made a diving catch of a line drive toward the hole by Justin Ruggiano.
One batter later, Trout made a sensational diving grab in right-centre against Chris Taylor that had Giavotella jumping up and down.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Mariners: RHP Tom Wilhelmsen, sidelined since April 11 because of a hyperextended elbow, threw 25 pitches in a simulated game. … Iwakuma was eligible to come off the disabled list Wednesday, but the right-hander won’t be ready to return for at least another couple of weeks after he goes on a minor league rehab assignment.
UP NEXT
Mariners: RHP Taijuan Walker (1-3) opposes Oakland RHP Sonny Gray on Friday night in the opener of a nine-game homestand. Walker allowed nine runs and nine hits over 3 1-3 innings against the Athletics in his season debut April 12, a 12-0 loss.
Angels: LHP Hector Santiago (2-2) faces Houston RHP Collin McHugh on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series at the "Big A," with the surprising Astros holding a five-game lead over the Angels atop the AL West. In the two-plus seasons since the Astros switched leagues, the Angels are 25-22 against them — despite the fact that the Angels’ overall record during that stretch is 50 games better than Houston’s.